This invention relates to methods of enriching isotopes of an element, and in particular, to a method of isotope enrichment by separation of an electron rich reaction product from an electron poor reaction product.
An isotope is one of two or more kinds of atoms of an element, which have different mass numbers, that is different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei, but the same number of protons. For example hydrogen has three isotopes H.sup.1, H.sup.2 (deuterium), and H.sup.3 (tritium).
In this application, "isotopic compound" shall refer to each molecule or population of molecules of a compound which differs from other molecules or populations of molecules of that compound in composition and location on the molecule of isotopes of a selected element or elements. For example, in a compound which has only one atom of a selected element per molecule and only one possible isomer of the molecule, the number of isotopic compounds would equal the number of different isotopes of the element present. If there was more than one atom of a selected element per molecule/or more than one possible isomer, the number of isotopic compounds would be increased by the various possible combinations of different isotopes present and/or different locations of those isotopes in the molecules of the reactant.
In this application, "anion" shall refer to a negative ion of any charge. In this application "cation" shall refer to a positive ion of any charge.
Various procedures have been used to separate or enrich isotopes of elements. In diffusion procedures, isotopes incorporated in gases are allowed to diffuse, across a barrier under pressure or across a thermal gradient. Phase related separation procedures are based on an equilibrium between two phases such as gas and liquid. Electrolysis has been used as an isotope separation procedure at least for the production of heavy water. Electromagnetic processes separate ions of isotopes in the same manner as a mass spectrometer. Centrifugation separates isotopes on the basis of mass. Laser procedures separate isotopes by an excitation process followed by electromagnetic separation. Chromatographic procedures separate isotopic species on the basis of differential passage through a chromatographic medium such as in a high pressure liquid chromatographic column. Within the column the isotopic species exchange between a fixed phase and a mobile phase at different rates.
These procedures generally have limited applicability, and are involved, time consuming and expensive.
It is therefore highly desirable to provide an improved method of isotope enrichment.
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved method of isotope enrichment that requires a limited amount of equipment.
It is further highly desirable to provide an improved method of isotope enrichment that has general applicability to separation of isotopes of a large number of elements.
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved method of isotope enrichment that can be relatively fast and relatively inexpensive.
It is finally highly desirable to provide a method of isotope enrichment which provides all of these desired features.